Skate construction



June 27, 1950 L A WOOLLEY 2,512,906

SKATE CONSTRUCTION Filed March 7, 1946 "m'iillk [EE A WOOLLEY Patented June 27, 1950 ton Products Corporation, Kokomo, 1nd., acorporation of Indiana Application Marchi, 1946, Serial No. 652,627 2 Claims. rc1. 28o-11.26)

1? The present invention relates to a skate construction, generally and. more particularly to means for positively locking a shoe plate to a skate framefin desired adjusted relationship,v

Skates; as manufactured at the present time, which include shoe plates relatively adjustable with respect to theskate frames, are made with adjusting means comprising'. a square holefor a boltiniaplate and yaflongitudinal slotinthe frame member, or vice versa, the bolt, having asquare head onneck, which serves toprevent the bolt turning whilev nut isbeing tightened, isr engaged through the hole and slot and the plate isfastened in adjusted position by turning up the nut to cause tight irictionalengagement of` the ltwo parts. The. slot margins are smooth. Experience has demonstrated that oftentimes such adjustment is notlpositive and easily loosens, as it dependssolely` on the friction of the clamping nut to maintain the adjustment, making it necessary for the skater to. take time out to readjust the parts. Such described adjusting means have proved unsatisfactory. 4

The'.Y present invention has to do with a construction for securing a plate of a skate to the` skatev frame by means `which positively engage the plate and frame to thereby eliminate looseness of a bolt from allowing relative displacement of the adjusted parts.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved lpositive iock for securing `a shoe plate to a skate frame in desired adjusted relationship.

Another object of the present invention is to provide means for positively locking together two relatively movable parts byv a bolt having 1a square neck which neck enters a similarly shaped opening in one of said members and projects intoa serrated slot in the other member, the square neck engaging opposed serrations to thereby hold said parts together against relative movement in the direction of the slot.

A further object of the present invention is to provide improved skate construction by providing means for securing a shoe plate to a skate frame in adjusted relationship in which interengageable means are employed to make the desired .adjustment :a positive one.

The above, other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawing.

An embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing and the views thereof are as follows:

Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of a roller skate 55 2 constructed in accordance with the principlesof the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmental transverse sectional view, exploded, taken in the plane of line II`II of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is al fragmental bottom. plan View showingl relationship of a plateand frame, a serrated frame slot andin section engagementof the.

square neck ofr a bolt with the slot margins to effect positive `adjustment of the plate andzframe;

and

Figure 4 is bottom plan View of the front or 4sole plate.

As shown on the drawing:

The illustrated roller skate is constructed, in. the main, of stampings and comprises askate: frame 5 havingiront legs 6 and rear legs 'If for. supporting the front rollers 8 and rear rollers; 9frespectively. The front rollers 8 are carriedA onlr afront axle 8a, while the rear rollers 9 are` carried on a rear axle 9a, which axles pass through registering Iapertures in the legs.

I0 designates `a-front or sole plate, while I I designates a rear or heel plate.

'llhe front end. of the skate frame 5 is slotted at l2 which slot opens through the frontend of the frame.` A slot I3 opening through the rear end of the frame is shown, the latter slot being shown as shOrterthan the front slot I2.

There are two other slots formed in the frame body, the .front intermediate slot I4 and the rear intermediate slot I5, these slots extend lengthwise of the frame and the side margins thereof are serrated as at. Mo and I5a respectively.

Formed in the front or sole plate IIJ is a square hole I8,y while a similar square hole I9 (not shown) is formed in the rear. or heel platey II. These square holes are formed so that the diagonalsy thereof extend longitudinally and transversely of the length of the frame.

Near the front end of the front or sole plate I0 lugs 2D are struck therefrom, extending downwardly, with the ends bent outwardly away from each other for hooking engagement with the margins of the skate frame dening the front tend slot I2. In a similar manner lugs 2| are struck downwardly out of the rear or heel plate I I ywith their ends outturned in opposed relationship for hooking engagement with the margins of the frame dening the rear end slot I 3. The engagement of the ings, just described, prevents relative turning movement of the plates with respect to the skate frame as the skate is being used by a wearer, for skating, even though the nuts be loose.

In order to secure the plates I0 and II to the skate frame 5, in longitudinally adjusted relationship, bolts 22 are employed. Each bolt comprises a head 23, a square neck 24 and a threaded shank 25. For cooperating with the bolts there are provided wing nuts 26 and washers 21.

To adjust the front or sole plate I0, longitudinally of the skate frame 5, the plate is applied to the frame with the lugs 20 engaged in the front end slot I2, one of the bolts `22 is inserted through the square hole in the plate I and through the front intermediate slot I4. Because of the ar rangement of the square hole in the plate, two op- Vapplication to the frame, each plate having a engage opposed serrations in the front intexmediate slot I4 thereby positively securing the sole* plate I0 in longitudinally adjusted relationship with respect to the skate framer5. A iwasher 21 is thereupon applied over the bolt and a nut 26 screwed onto it tensioning the washer to thus rmly secure the sole plate in position.

The rear of heel plate II is attached in the same marmer.

It will thus readily be seen that the employment of bolts having square necks makes positive adjustment connections between the plates and the skate frame. Such construction provides interengageable means for positively securing the parts in desired adjusted relationship.

Because of the positive engagement of the square necks of the bolts with the serrations in the slots and the square holes in the plates, it is unnecessary to rely on the tightness of the nuts for securing the plates in adjusted position with respect to the skate frame. It has been found that even when a nut is loose the partsV` retain their relatively adjusted relationship by reason of the positive engagement of the square neck of a'` bolt with the hole in the plate and the serra-'- tions in an intermediate slot.

VThe construction described is one which lendsv itself to economical manufacture and at the same time is one which is highly effective in use for accomplishing the purpose intended.

Shown as attached to the front or sole Yplate I0 are toe straps 28. A heel guard 29 is formed as apart of the rear or heel plate I I and is provided with slots 30 for the reception of strap means vto attach the heel portion of the skate to a foot of a wearer, in the usual manner.

It is to be understood that the neck of the bolt might be of a polygonal shape other than square,` in which event the bolt receiving holes in the plate would be of corresponding shape to receive a bolt in relative non-rotative relation.

It will, of course, be understood that various details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of ,this invention and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon 'othersquare Yhole in it in its longitudinal axis and with its diagonals lengthwise and crosswise and also having depending lug means to enter said end slots and engage underneath the margins of the end slots, and bolts having square necks entered through theholes in said plates with opposite corners of the necks engaging serrations in the intermediate slots for holding the plates in adjusted relationship with respect to the frame, and nuts for securing the bolts in place,

2. In combination two relatively movable members, one of said members having two slots in it in endwise spaced relation with one of said slots opening through an. end extremity of` said one member.' the side margins of the other of said slots being serrated, the other of said members having portions enterable only through the open end'of said'one slot for hooking engagement with said ione member to prevent relative turning movement "of said members and also having a square hole therein to overlie the said other slot of said one member, and means for locking said members in adjusted position comprising a bolt having a square neck entered in the hole of said other member and having two diagonally opposite corners of its neck engaging with said hole and also with a' pair of opposed serrations in the other slot of said one member to thereby lock said Vtwo members together in endwise adjusted relation, and a nut on the bolt to tightenit in place in said two members to thereby retain said two members in adjusted position, the hooking engagement `of said other member with said one slot of said one member preventing relative turning movement ofy said members when the nut is loose.

yLEE A. WOOLLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The `following references are of record-in the file of this patent: 1 l I UNITED STATES PATENTS Ware A, May 23, 1933 

